rs.undertheandes-第17部分

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　taking　a　hearty　drink　when　I　heard　Harry's　voice。
　〃Paul。〃
　〃Here；　lad。〃
　〃I　was　afraid　you　had　gone。　I've　just　had　the　most　devilish　dream　about　Desiree。　She　was　doing　some　crazy　dance　on　top　of　a　mountain　or　something。　and　there　was　fire；　and…Paul！　Paul；　was　it　a　dream？〃
　〃No；　Hal；　I　saw　it　myself。　But　e；　we'll　talk　later。
　Here's　some　dried　fish　for　breakfast。〃
　〃Ah！　That…that…now　I　remember！　And　she　fell！　I'm　going…〃
　But　I　wanted　no　more　fever　or　delirium；　and　I　interrupted　him　sternly：
　〃Harry！　Listen　to　me！　Are　you　a　baby　or　a　man？　Talk　straight　or　shut　up；　and　don't　whine　like　a　fool。　If　you　have　any　courage；　use　it。〃
　It　was　stiff　medicine；　but　he　needed　it；　and　it　worked。　There　was　a　silence；　then　his　voice　came；　steady　enough：
　〃You　know　me　better　than　that；　Paul。　Only…if　it　were　not　for　Desiree…but　I'll　swallow　it。　I　think　I've　been　sick；　haven't　I？〃
　Poor　lad！　I　wanted　to　take　his　hand　in　mine　and　apologize。
　But　that　would　have　been　bad　for　both　of　us；　and　I　answered　simply：
　〃Yes；　a　little　fever。　But　you're　all　right　now。　And　now　you　must　eat　and　drink。　Not　much　of　a　variety；　but　it's　better　than　nothing。〃
　I　carried　the　platter　and　basin　over　to　him；　and　sat　down　by　his　side；　and　we　fell　to　together。
　But　he　would　talk　of　Desiree；　and　I　humored　him。　There　was　little　enough　to　say；　but　he　pressed　my　hand　hopefully　and　gratefully　when　I　expressed　my　belief　that　her　disappearance　had　been　a　trick　of　some　sort　and　no　matter　for　apprehension。
　〃We　must　find　her；　Paul。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃At　once。〃
　But　there　I　objected。
　〃On　the　contrary；　we　must　delay。　Right　now　we　are　utterly　helpless　from　our　long　fast。　They　would　handle　us　like　babies　if　it　came　to　a　fight。　Try　yourself；　stand　up。〃
　He　rose　to　his　hands　and　knees；　then　sank　back　to　the　ground。
　〃You　see。　To　move　now　would　be　folly。　And　of　course　they　are　watching　us　at　this　minute…every　minute。　We　must　wait。〃
　His　only　answer　was　a　groan　of　despair。
　In　some　manner　the　weary　hours　passed　by。
　Harry　lay　silent；　but　not　asleep；　now　and　then　he　would　ask　me　some　question；　but　more　to　hear　my　voice　than　to　get　an　answer。　We　heard　or　saw　nothing　of　our　captors；　for　all　our　senses　told　us　we　were　quite　alone；　but　our　previous　experience　with　them　had　taught　us　better　than　to　believe　it。
　I　found　myself　almost　unconsciously　reflecting　on　the　character　and　nature　of　the　tribe　of　dwarfs。
　Was　it　possible　that　they　were　really　the　descendants　of　the　Incas　driven　from　Huanuco　by　Hernando　Pizarro　and　his　horsemen　nearly　four　hundred　years　before？　Even　then　I　was　satisfied　of　it；　and　I　was　soon　to　have　that　opinion　confirmed　by　conclusive　evidence。
　Other　questions　presented　themselves。　Why　did　they　not　speak？
　What　fuel　could　they　have　found　in　the　bowels　of　the　Andes　for　their　vats　of　fire？　And　how　did　sufficient　air　for　ten　thousand　pairs　of　lungs　find　its　way　miles　underground？　Why；　in　the　centuries　that　had　passed；　had　none　of　them　found　his　way　to　the　world　outside？
　Some　of　these　questions　I　answered　for　myself；　others　remained　unsolved　for　many　months；　until　I　had　opportunity　to　avail　myself　of　knowledge　more　profound　than　my　own。　Easy　enough　to　guess　that　the　hidden　deposits　of　the　mountain　had　yielded　oil　which　needed　only　a　spark　from　a　piece　of　flint　to　fire　it；　and　any　one　who　knows　anything　of　the　geological　formation　of　the　Andes　will　not　wonder　at　their　supply　of　air。
　Nature　is　not　yet　ready　for　man　in　those　wild　regions。　Huge　upheavals　and　convulsions　are　of　continual　occurrence；　underground　streams　are　known　which　rise　in　the　eastern　Cordillera　and　emerge　on　the　side　of　the　Pacific　slope。　And　air　circulates　through　these　passages　as　well　as　water。
　Their　silence　remains　inexplicable；　but　it　was　probably　the　result　of　the　nature　of　their　surroundings。　I　have　spoken　before　of　the　innumerable　echoes　and　reverberations　that　followed　every　sound　of　the　voice　above　a　whisper。　At　times　it　was　literally　deafening；　and　time　may　have　made　it　so　in　reality。
　The　natural　effect　through　many　generations　of　this　inconvenience　or　danger　would　be　the　stoppage　of　speech；　leading　possibly　to　a　plete　loss　of　the　faculty。　I　am　satisfied　that　they　were　incapable　of　vocalization；　for　even　the　women　did　not　talk！　But　that　is　ahead　of　the　story。
　I　occupied　myself　with　these　reflections；　and　found　amusement　in　them；　but　it　was　impossible　to　lead　Harry　into　a　discussion。
　His　mind　was　anything　but　scientific；　anyway；　and　he　was　pletely　obsessed　by　fear　for　the　safety　of　Desiree。　And　I　wasn't　sorry　for　it；　it　is　better　that　a　man　should　worry　about　some　one　else　than　about　himself。
　Our　chance　of　rescuing　her；　or　even　of　saving　ourselves；　appeared　to　me　woefully　slim。　One　fear　at　least　was　gone；　for　the　descendants　of　Incas　could　scarcely　be　cannibals；　but　there　are　other　fates　equally　final；　if　less　distasteful。　The　fact　that　they　had　not　even　taken　the　trouble　to　bind　us　was　an　indication　of　the　strictness　of　their　watch。
　The　hours　crept　by。　At　regular　intervals　our　food　was　replenished　and　we　kept　the　platter　empty；　storing　what　we　could　not　eat　in　our　ponchos　against　a　possible　need。
　It　was　always　the　same…dried　fish　of　the　consistency　of　leather　and　a　most　aggressive　taste。　I　tried　to　convey　to　one　of　our　captors　the　idea　that　a　change　of　diet　would　be　agreeable；　but　either　he　did　not　understand　me　or　didn't　want　to。
　Gradually　our　strength　returned；　and　with　it　hope。　Harry　began　to　be　impatient；　urging　action。　I　was　waiting　for　two　things　besides　the　return　of　strength；　first；　to　lay　in　a　supply　of　food　that　would　be　sufficient　for　many　days　in　case　we　escaped；　and　second；　to　allow　our　eyes　to　accustom　themselves　better　to　the　darkness。
　Already　we　were　able　to　see　with　a　fair　amount　of　clearness；　we　could　easily　distinguish　the　forms　of　those　who　came　to　bring　us　food　and　water　when　they　were　fifteen　or　twenty　feet　away。　But　the　cavern　in　which　we　were　confined　must　have　been　a　large　one；　for　we　were　unable　to　see　a　wall　in　any　direction；　and　we　did　not　venture　to　explore　for　fear　our　captors　would　be　moved　to　bind　us。
　But　Harry　became　so　insistent　that　I　finally　consented　to　a　scouting　expedition。　Caution　seemed　useless；　if　the　darkness　had　eyes　that　beheld　us；　doubly　so。　We　strapped　our　ponchos；　heavy　with　their　food；　to　our　backs；　and　set　out　at　random　across　the　cavern。
　We　went　slowly；　straining　our　eyes　ahead　and　from　side　to　side。　It　was　folly；　of　course；　in　the　darkness…like　trying　to　beat　a　gambler　at　his　own　game。　But　we　moved　on　as　noiselessly　as　possible。
　Suddenly　a　wall　loomed　up　before　us　not　ten　feet　away。　I　gave　a　tug　at　Harry's　arm；　and　he　nodded。　We　approached　the　wall；　then　turned　to　the　right　and　proceeded　parallel　with　it；　watching　for　a　break　that　would　mean　the　way　to　freedom。
　I　noticed　a　dark　line　that　extended　along　the　base　of　the　wall；　reaching　up　its　side　to　a　height　of　about　two　feet　and　seemingly　melting　away　into　the　ground。　At　first　I　took　it　for　a　separate　strata　of　rock；　darker　than　that　above。　But　there　was　a　strange　brokenness　about　its　appearance　that　made　me　consider　it　more　carefully。
　It　appeared　to　be　posed　of　curious　knots　and　protuberances。
　I　stopped　short；　and；　advancing　a　step　or　two　toward　the　wall；　gazed　intently。　Then　I　saw　that　the　dark　line　was　not　a　part　of　the　wall　at　all；　and　then…well；　then　I　laughed　aloud　in　spite　of　myself。　The　thing　was　too　ludicrous。
　For　that　〃dark　line〃　along　the　bottom　of　the　wall　was　a　row　of　squatting　Incas！　There　they　sat；　silent；　motionless；　even　when　my　laugh　rang　out　through　the　cavern　they　gave　not　the　slightest　sign　that　they　either　heard　or　saw。　Yet　it　was　certain　that　they　had　watched　our　every　move。
　There　was　nothing　for　it　but　retreat。　With　our　knives　we　might　have　fought　our　way　through；　but　we　were　unarmed；　and　we　had　felt　one　or　two　proofs　of　their　strength。
　Harry　took　it　with　more　philosophy　than　I　had　expected。　As　for　me；　I　had　not　yet　finished　my　laugh。　We　sought　our　former　resting…place；　recognizing　it　by　the　platter　and　basin　which　we　had　emptied　before　our　famous　and　daring　attempt　to　escape。
　Soon　Harry　began：
　〃I'll　tell　you　what　they　are；　Paul；　they're　frogs。　Nothing　but　frogs。　Did　you　see　'em？　The　little　black　devils！　And　Lord；　how　they　smell！〃
　〃That；〃　I　answered；　〃is　the　effect　of…〃
　〃To　the　deuce　with　your　mineralogy　or　anthromorphism　or　whatever　you　call　it。　I　don't　care　what　makes　'em　smell。　I　only　know　they　do…as　Kipling　says　of　the　oonts…'most　awful　vile。'　And　there　the　beggars　sit；　and　here　we　sit！〃
　〃If　we　could　only　see…〃　I　began。
　〃And　what　good　would　that　do　us？　Could　we　fight？　No。　They'd　smother　us　in　a　minute。　Say；　wasn't　there　a　king　in　that　cave　the　other　day？〃
　〃Yes；　on　a　golden　throne。　An　ugly　little　devil…the　ugliest　of　all。〃
　〃Sure；　that　why　he's　got　the　job。　Did　he　say　anything？〃
　〃Not　a　word；　merely　stuck　out　his　arm　and　out　we　went。〃
　〃Why　the　deuce　don't　they　talk？〃
　I　explained　my　theory　at　some　length；　with　many　and　various　scientific　digressions。　Harry　listened　politely。
　〃I　don't　know　what　you　mean；〃　said　he　when　I　had　finished；　〃but　I　believe　you。　Anyway；　it's　all　a　stupendous　joke。　In　the　first　place；　we　shouldn't　be　here　at　all。　And；　s